


Foibles

by Chocoboy_James



Category: FFXIV, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: FFxivWrite, FFxivWrite2020, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26597872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocoboy_James/pseuds/Chocoboy_James
Summary: Day 21 of the FFXIVWrite 2020Foibles.James, Stefan and Nathaniel are taking a stop as they are on the road back to the Shroud.





	Foibles

“I’ve failed…”   
“Have you?” 

A few days had passed after the victory of Ala Mhigo, where they overthrew the Garlean Empire and ended their grasp on the city state. James was sitting with his father next to a boiling stew that Stefan was preparing for dinner. The raven had been quietly adding ingredients as he was listening in on the conversation his fiance had with his father. 

Ever since the battle, James had felt different. Conflicted, silent, and it was as if he was a completely different person. They had decided it would be good for him to get back home, so that familiar surroundings would give him his cheery self back. But the closer they came to the Shroud, the more sorrowful James got. 

His father told Stefan he would talk to him about it, see what was bothering him. Stefan had some notion, since the night they met, James had vented it all out to him. Most of which was quite the riddle to Stefan to begin with, but it made more sense the longer he knew James.   
However, his father had quite the catching up to do. Maybe hearing some advice from him would do him well. 

“I have…” James mumbled on, and shook his head, his thoughts drifting. “It all could have gone so differently.”   
“Look, James.” Nathaniel sat himself a bit more comfortable. “Whatever had happened then and there, it was out of your control.”   
“I could have done something!?” James desperately raised his voice and buried his face in his hands. “If I had stopped Ilberd, there’d be no primal!” 

“James, my son.” Nathaniel put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Why would you go and think that?”  
“I did everything I could to talk him out of that charade and yet- yet…” a sigh escaped from him, and he shook his head.   
“You cannot change a person’s direction if they are set on it.” his father spoke out. “I was the same to your mother. I was ready and able to teach you how to defend yourself. Even when you two struggled back, I was blinded by my own fear of defeat. I didn’t want my own son to experience loss the way I had. Now looking at you, you have suffered more than I have in a lifetime. I wish I could undo all that, and not have been out of your life for so long but that is beyond my power to do so.” 

James hung his shoulders, and his father tightened his grab on the shoulder a mere second for comfort, before releasing it again. “The same way I have told you that night, that you have become stronger. It might not be with strength, but with your own personality. The walls you have built are not easy to crumble.”   
“Father, I-” James began and couldn’t finish his sentence, instead he added a sigh. 

“You may think you have failed, that you think everything is your fault because of it. But know that everyone, everything has got their own course. Their own motives.” His father once more kept on explaining. “What you see as failure, can be another one’s success.”   
“I get what you are trying to say…” the young blonde mumbled out.

A sense of realisation came to mind. He had always tried to be kind, helpful, and looking for solutions that ended up in no bloodshed. That was what defined him. That’s his course of direction. “But doesn’t that make me weak?”   
“Whatever do you mean with that!?” the adult shockingly asked.   
“Me not being able to stand up against it.” 

“James, no.” the man shook his head. “Let me rephrase; People might share a common goal, but do different things to get there. Yours is peaceful, whilst the other is violent. Sometimes it just needs to be both.”   
The young blonde made a sad sigh, and nodded that he now understood. This was exactly what had happened in the resistance, and with the help of the bad, the good prevailed. 

“And might I add, that the path you have taken, has not only made you stronger, but you have a wonderful lad who stands by your side now.” his father chuckled softly.  
“Yes…” James mumbled and eventually he made a glance towards Stefan who added a few more herbs to the stew, the raven looked over and their eyes met. A lovely smile came from Stefan, who then continued on the food. “I have.” He smiled as well, and then looked over to his father. “These are hard lessons to be learned, but I need time to progress all that has happened.” 

“I know, my boy.” Nathaniel nodded. “It all happened in a short period of time.” he looked up to the sky and admired it for a second. “I do not expect you to feel better in a heartbeat.” the man stood up and dragged James on his feet as well. “But do not consider yourself a failure because you still needed to learn these lessons.” the Highlander smiled and beckoned him over to get some food. “Everyone does it at their own pace.”


End file.
